D-Diary
by KaidanTONiO
Summary: A diary written by a former MSF member. This diary is a retelling of the events of MGSV from the perspective of one who idolized Big Boss until the bitter end.
1. Prologue

This is the first fanfic that I've uploaded to this website.

The following story is based on the 2015 videogame Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It is a fictional diary kept by an OC member of Diamond Dogs, and serves as an alternate perspective on the game's events. The OC's characterization is partially based on my personal devotion to the Metal Gear franchise, and my ongoing experiences from playing the game.

Since this story's creation, the game is only a few months old, and the chapters will be inevitable spoilers for anyone who hasn't played it through. Canonical actions are nebulous in MGSV, due to the massive liberties a gamer could take, so I will also take creative liberties as long as the story remains faithful to the actual game. I welcome fair criticism for storytelling and writing style (please indicate the chapter you are reviewing).

I will try to make this series realistic in terms of an off-shore mercenary employee and the culture before and during the mid-1980s.

The Metal Gear series is and will always be a part of me and countless others, and I hope I'll have contributed something worthwhile to the fandom.

"Metal Gear" and all related names and terms are property of Konami.

We are Homo Ludens.

* * *

D-Diary by KaidanTONiO

Prologue

March 9, 1984

I've been keeping a simple journal ever since MSF ended 9 years ago, just to keep track of my daily activities. I believe now is the time for a more proper diary. I haven't been myself ever since the night MSF was destroyed, and since then I didn't think anything was worth writing about in depth. Pop culture, current events, there's plenty written about that elsewhere. The world's changed, but I never played much of a role in it; I had to keep a low profile like the other survivors, but I went to college with the little money I stashed away. I never made a name for myself…all for the family that adopted me.

The Boss is awake. He's been sleeping for almost a decade, because of what "Cipher" did. He will come back to the few of us who survived and bring MSF back to the glory days.

Actually, it's inappropriate to use MSF's name anymore now that the old Mother Base is long gone, its majority either dead or retired. Amanda's busy in Nicaragua's politics; Cecile went back to live Paris, and who knows where Huey and Strangelove went. Commander Miller's alive, and so are a handful of MSF (ex-MSF, sorry). The Boss…Snake is alive, but has been in a coma for 9 years until today. We received news from the Cyprus hospital. From what I've heard, Boss hasn't been taking it too well. But, you wake up from a 9-year coma and find out you're missing your left arm, I guess you'll want to go back to sleep just to get an even decade!

(I'm sorry Boss, you remember how no one liked my sense of humor)

But dammit, now Miller's gone too. On the front of the war in Afghanistan, and he gets kidnapped. And right on the eve of your return, Boss! The whole entourage, all ex-MSF, all killed except for Miller. The dream seems even farther now.

I am 25 now. I studied English language and journalism and got a degree in such, but just did some freelancing here and there – just until Boss would wake up (besides, if anyone knew I was ex-MSF, Cipher would surely have looked for me). After being part of MSF's family, I couldn't see myself being part of the world I was born in.

Now that I think of it, I sound hopelessly stubborn. Why shouldn't I go back to my country? MSF is dead and I survived, shouldn't I accept that as a gift, a new opportunity at life?

…

But I loved MSF so much. I loved everyone I met: Snake, Miller, Chico, Amanda, Cecile, the latecomers Huey and Strangelove. I even loved Paz, despite everything.

I couldn't forget them; I knew I had a duty not to. So I went with the flow as the saying goes, and maintained a "normal" life while keeping in touch with Miller. It was tricky, but Miller and I kept in touch by mail, even if it was mainly by proxy addresses. His messages were always succinct updates on the known MSF survivors and Snake's progress, but never delved into personal matters. I don't know if he was humoring me or if he just wanted to keep tabs on me. After 1975, Miller became paranoid, and never really trusted others again (who could blame him?). Best case is that he really cared for everyone who survived Cipher's attack, no matter how trivial they were to MSF.

Sometime after my graduation, Miller told me about of Diamond Dogs. My family was to be avenged as soon as Snake woke up. But when? When?

Next week, when Snake leaves the hospital.

* * *

March 11, 1984

It almost ended for naught. Somehow, Cipher found out about the Cyprus hospital and damn near killed everyone except Snake. Our mission was to extract him from the area with the new horse, through the forest area for extra safety, and towards the dock where we leave via whaling ship.

Now I know I've gotten myself into a real war.

I volunteered to be part of the escort crew led by Ocelot. Miller told me about Ocelot and the man's history with the Boss, though I was still unsure about Ocelot working for the GRU and Diamond Dogs simultaneously. Sorry Boss, I don't find him trustworthy (my opinion, that's all). Still, he trains the men, trained the horse, and who knows how many other things he actually does? If Snake trusts him (at least, Miller says so) then so will I.

I was on the dock's observation tower when I noticed all the heavily-armed gunships and tanks approaching the hospital. I felt helpless, because none of us could really infiltrate the place in that condition. We only have a skeleton crew operating the new base, and barely had enough fighters to send out. The hospital was done for, but Ocelot was determined to complete the mission. He left on the horse shortly before fires began engulfing the place.

The dock's distance wouldn't let me see what went on inside the hospital, but I could barely see flashes of gunfire and rockets shot at one point. What surprised me is how the whole front of the hospital seemed to continuously explode. What was Ocelot planning to do? Was it even Snake that the enemy was gunning for?

The destruction that overtook the hospital seemed to take a life on its own, and the things I saw then made me believe the end of the world was coming out of there. A flying flaming whale? The Behemoth or Leviathan of the Bible, perhaps? It may have been some new pyrotechnic weapon or a trick of the light (unlikely), but it lasted only a moment. Yet the destruction then spread to the forest and was heading towards the dock.

Lo and behold, the rain appeared and pacified the flames. Our small Intel team thought tonight's rain would help in masking the Boss's extraction, but it also saved him from that sea of fire! Whatever that was, a little rain managed to help Ocelot return with the Boss on horseback, a scene right out of a Hollywood action film.

Oh…it makes sense now. Ocelot is known to be fond of Westerns.

I guess I can trust him, if he was willing to risk his life for Snake.

( _Reminder: urge R &D to mass-produce large water guns, or at least order a few hundred Cosmic Liquidators..._

 _...Miller would never allow it._ )

Snake looked terrible. Left arm missing, his whole body grown scrawny over the years, and an overall weathered look, not just from his years at war. I knew his body would have lost some muscle mass, but the actual sight twisted my heart. Worst of all is the shrapnel in his forehead, a chunk of metal shaped like a small horn - to think that he's still alive and conscious! Had I less self-control, I would have wept right then and there. He didn't recognize me at first, but I assume that the coma (plus that horn!) must have affected his memory to some extent. Ocelot later told us that Snake does remember who everyone is and what Cipher did, so that's good news. Perhaps, in free time and under calmer circumstances, we can reminisce about the good old days.

It's been nine years, but we can afford to wait a few more days. Miller needs rescuing, but Ocelot says Snake must be the one to do it. He's been awake for a few weeks now, getting the hang of being alive again, of being who he is. Despite Boss' condition, I believe that Miller's safety is guaranteed. I'm glad I've returned too; I'm working at Supply, doing what I can to help back on base. Our new Mother Base for our new army, my new family.

My adoptive name is Coatl, and I am a Diamond Dog.


	2. Phantom Limbs

Continuing Diamond Dog Coatl's story, as Snake rescues Miller from De Wiallo Khalai and barely escapes the Skulls.

"Metal Gear" and all related names and terms are property of Konami.

We are Homo Ludens.

* * *

D-Diary by KaidanTONiO

Chapter 1: Phantom Limbs

March 21st, 1984

Its barely morning, and I'm with the men on the chopper back to Mother Base, but the recent events prevent me from sleeping further. I might as well write.

Our small escort team left Cyprus by ship, and passed through the Suez Canal, all the way to the Arabian Sea and stopped at a place called Port Casim, right at the southernmost tip of Pakistan. There, I parted ways with Snake and Ocelot, and headed to Mother Base. Those two are to head through the country by chopper, and then enter Afghanistan by horse, now that the Boss is more or less back to his physical/mental health. It may sound lunatic to others, but that's the Boss for you. Asleep for 9 years, then back to the playing field.

The whole trip was fairly uneventful, but we should be so lucky in the future. The Boss was exercising every day since Cyprus, making up for the lack of proper physical therapy in his own way. Really, seeing him inspired me and the team to work out with him, only to fall behind him by Sunday!

In between the Boss's exercise sessions, Ocelot briefed him on Afghanistan's political situation, and the state of the Soviet war. It's a lot of information to digest within a week, but Ocelot only gave him short summaries of the past decade's essential politics. We figured that Snake could learn everything else later. Pop culture was never really his forte.

He's also given Boss the new arm, specially built by a bionics expert Miller hired months ago. It looks and works just like Zadornov's (except no lighter), which felt creepy. Not just because it's a fully-functional prosthesis - I swear I felt irony tickle my spine when Snake was testing the arm.

First the Boss came back, now Miller is next. Who else but Cipher would have gone after him, if Miller's bodyguards were the best men we had? All dead. Less family, less chance to beat Cipher. Miller's been gone for over a week, so time is of the essence. Our Intel scouts managed to find out about the "blonde-haired foreigner" being kept prisoner in a small village in Northern Kabul, guaranteed to be Miller. If Snake doesn't rescue him in time, Miller will be executed, another claimed by Cipher. More reason to see those bastards gone forever. An organization like that shouldn't be allowed to continue, not just for what we lost, but for what they are capable of doing to anyone else.

I remember Chico and Paz.

9 years ago, I was with some of the MSF crew sent to Cuba for R&R before Mother Base was attacked. I was 16. I suppose Snake and Miller sent me away because they couldn't have a minor's presence affecting their public image (for the phony inspection). We were first notified of the attack via a radio distress call from Mother Base. Looking back, I think it was just someone calling for us as a last resort despite the situation's hopelessness. There was no way we could have been of any help, given our distance and small numbers, and all we could do was use the radio to track down anyone who escaped the attack. As far as I recall, only Miller and the Boss escaped by chopper. I'm unaware of anyone else who might have escaped.

A couple of days later, Miller contacted us. It was safe, for he knew our frequency, and he directed us to the hospital where he and Snake were being treated. Half of us were to guard the AFVs and the other half to go to the hospital. After we come back, the AFV group would proceed to the hospital

We were not allowed to see Snake, but our morale was pretty much shattered when the doctors told us of his condition. However, Miller was not badly injured, and he briefed us on what happened: that the UN inspection was a ruse by Cipher, Mother Base and ZEKE were gone, and that anyone affiliated with MSF should lie low and do whatever it takes to avoid being associated with it, lest Cipher find us too. That meant the soldiers would retire from MSF and join other armies, or go home to family and friends.

In my case, I had to go back to my original family.

Before we left, I suggested we check out what the chopper survivors still had when they were rescued. Miller allowed us to inspect the items in storage: a couple of broken guns, a charred Sneaking Suit, and cassette tapes (miraculously intact, plus Miller managed to keep his silly sunglasses on throughout). At that moment, Miller told us to listen to those tapes in a separate room using my Walkman's speaker (back then, we all could afford our own Walkman, and many of us did, at least to emulate the Boss). He wanted us to know what really caused our home to be destroyed. He must have wanted us to know how serious our situation was, to know what kind of people were trying to destroy us.

I listened to what those heartless bastards did to Chico and Paz. Chico's idiocy was unbelievable - he honestly thought he could rescue Paz all alone. He was no soldier any more than I was. Of course Cipher's men caught him, but until we listened to the tapes, I never imagined what Cipher could do to its victims. Chico may have sold us out, but I can't blame him. Not after the hell he suffered.

And now he's dead. Another lost to Cipher, another soul to avenge.

What bothered me the most from those tapes besides the torture is what Paz said to her captives…"Cipher is watching". I know that Cipher sent Paz to that black site for interrogation, but were her torturers really part of Cipher or…?

How could she still venerate Cipher if the camp guards were killing her? The answer must be in the last tapes: _whoever tortured Paz and Chico was also against Cipher_ , wringing answers from Paz as to Cipher's/Zero's actual location. But attacking Mother Base - was that also to feign allegiance to Cipher?

Too many questions for now. We're close to base and I must continue my work. By now, Snake and Ocelot are at Kabul, heading for Miller's location. This time around, Miller lost the glasses. Not a good sign. Ocelot found them at the site where Miller was taken, and will give them to Snake so he can return them to their rightful owner. Here's hoping.

* * *

Its evening and Ocelot just came back by chopper a couple of hours ago. He told the medics to get all their gear ready for Miller's arrival. Boss found him in that little village after all, but ran into trouble with Cipher before giving them the slip. Miller is also in bad shape, missing an arm and leg…possible half-blind. This news won't let me sleep, so I'll write about the day's events. I should watch out for insomnia.

I finished the morning's inventory reports before rushing to Intel's office. When I know that Snake is on an important mission, I make the extra effort to either finish my work quickly or at least postpone it; it'd be easier with more people to hand the work over to.

Ocelot wasn't there yet. He doesn't really need to be with Intel thanks to this nifty radio communication system they use between themselves. Snake, Ocelot, and Miller could be in constant communication with one another no matter who's on the mainland or on Mother Base. I haven't the faintest idea how it works; the few R&D people we have are the ones who really pulled it off at Miller's request. Boss describes stuff, Intel logs it, Miller, Ocelot, or other local experts give instructions or advice, Support may be requested to assist by delivering resupply boxes to any chosen area. Given my history with MSF, I was allowed my own audio line that focused on the Boss' missions. No direct voice support, though, that was left to the experts while I continue my work. I don't really need to be in Intel's office to listen in, as a great bonus. I can give emergency orders to Support from anywhere on Mother Base should my superiors demand it, otherwise I'll spend my shift at the warehouse office.

After spending the day using "D-Horse" to track down Miller, Boss found him in that village-turned-Soviet outpost, but the chopper couldn't pick them up afterwards. Apparently, an unnatural mist appeared before the Boss was assaulted – by the same Cipher boys that killed Miller's entourage. Miller calls them the "Skulls", though I don't know why (because they're unstoppable killers?). Freaks of nature, from what I've heard: the spooky ghost-mist appearing at the same time as the Skulls; their glowing eyes, jerky/spastic bodily movements, and their bodies covered in tactical battle armor. Worse is how they moved when they saw the Boss: huge leaps and bounds that put gazelles to shame. Reminds me of the old stories of Operation Snake Eater, multiplied exponentially.

I heard those stories back at MSF, how Snake faced a bunch of comic book-styled weirdoes with superpowers called the Cobras whom supposedly won WWII, the battles that led to him gaining the tile "Big Boss". But while the Cobras all challenged Snake one at a time, the "Skulls" are a whole unit of freaks working together, all gunning for the Boss and anyone related to him. He gave them the slip somehow. The horse is certainly a champ if it could outrun those monsters, and so the chopper extracted them with no mist to prevent its landing.

Or perhaps the Skulls chose to fall back by Cipher's orders? The thought just occurred – if any Cipher agents were to track down Snake back to the new base, they wouldn't have to rely on a bunch of freaks to wander Afghanistan hoping to kill him there. Besides, after Paz's betrayal, Miller started being strict about letting in new recruits to MSF, and now that attitude would become full-blown paranoia. He _was_ training Mujahideen to fight the Soviets, and what if the Soviets that captured him are in league with Cipher? Is that why Miller was spared, while the rest of his troop was killed?

Or perhaps the Skulls are indeed as they act – mindless zombies that attack anyone on sight. Perhaps they didn't even recognize Snake, and the man's pretty hard not to recognize on a battlefield. He's got a heavy reputation amongst soldiers worldwide. Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but it pays to be even a little paranoid in our case.

Boss and Miller are expected to arrive tomorrow morning, and I intend to be present with the men to welcome them.


	3. Diamond Dogs

Continuing the story of Diamond Dog Coatl, as Miller returns from Afghanistan and Coatl reviews the new Mother Base.

"Metal Gear" and all related names and terms are property of Konami.

We are Homo Ludens.

* * *

Chapter 2: Diamond Dogs

Lunch time. I'll write what I feel, this can't wait. Miller came back this morning and he's in way worse condition than the Boss, in body and mind.

He's missing his right arm and right leg, and is in no condition to be friendly with anyone. I saw the whole conversation he had with Snake in the chopper.

I wasn't with them, of course. Shortly after joining Diamond Dogs, but before Snake's return, I had R&D install a few small cameras in the Blackfoot – two in the rear, two in the front, to watch the interior from different angles. I wasn't about to lose any opportunity to see what might happen in the chopper, not after the Morpho chopper's crash years ago.

During their ride back to Mother Base, Miller was telling Snake about Cipher, and Diamond Dogs. He lamented all the MSF people who died because of Cipher, and I could literally feel the pain in his voice. It wasn't just the limbs he lost that caused the pain.

Miller was obviously more grief-stricken than Snake. The Boss may have been our supreme leader, but Miller was the businessman who managed it all, and he actually had ties with Cipher! Miller never expected such an assault on his efforts, so it's no wonder that his pain turned to rage.

I think Snake is still shell-shocked from this whole ordeal. He's barely uttered a word except when needed to, and he doesn't express anything close to Miller's emotional level. There isn't going to be a happy reunion here. Nothing can assuage their pain, and for that I feel helpless.

They landed and the medics tried attending to Miller, but not before he swore to Snake about how we were to get our payback, not as MSF, but as Diamond Dogs.

I feel confused. Snake barely registers any feeling, and Miller is suffering for both of them. Snake even asked Miller what should be done at that point. Big Boss, asking a subordinate what to do. That alone makes me scared. I thought that having our two commanders alive together would strengthen morale, but I'm truly scared now.

This was after Miller mentioned how powerful Cipher may have become, but we're still just a new PF, off the grid and doing others' dirty work with no questions asked. As long as we slowly gather more resources, more funds, and more men, Cipher won't know how strong we will have become until it's too late.

Too late for them, that is. Then we need not fear anyone anymore.

* * *

Snake was still in good shape after the mission, so Ocelot introduced him to our new base. He had Snake practice some CQC, and gave him a refresher course on the Fulton system MSF used before, and even had him test it on Armadillo and Hedgehog! They told me what a rush it was to be Fultoned, how they were caught by Pequod's chopper and set down on the roof's helipad. Just like before, the new recruits will be brought to one of the helipads, where a "welcoming committee" will escort them to a private interrogation room. For these two, they went straight from the roof and to the R&D office once the Boss assigned them there via iDroid (Everyone's got a small one of their own, with the better ones reserved for the bosses).

 _(Due to my intense fear of heights, I can never enjoy the rush of Fulton extraction. I feel mortal danger just by scaling the Central Command tower.)_

And so, Snake is getting used to being our Boss once more! What was the first order Snake made from R&D?

The cardboard box.

Life on Mother Base is going to be crazier than before, I can feel it. It will start as before, with a single oil rig in the sea.

I won't neglect my part in this. As a member of Support, I assist the Base Expansion team by taking inventory of materials they'll need to expand Mother Base. They request it, and I have it delivered wherever it needs to be. Perhaps the bosses had me in mind when establishing Support – I'm no fighter, but I'm good with taking orders and delivering stuff. This extends to team interaction in delivering goods in-base and in the battlefield.

 _(It's a lot more than I ever did in MSF.)_

By midday, Snake finished touring the Command Center, and was on his way back to Afghanistan. Since we are mercenaries, we need to make our living via mercenary assignments, and Miller already had some missions ready for Boss before the rescue. However, we are quite short on fighters and base staff, so we'll be expecting some new recruits (ha ha) via Fulton delivery system (ha ha ha). We don't expect any enemy soldier to spill the beans about their field operations, since most soldiers aren't told of their army's greater plans.

These recruits are guaranteed to work for us once they know who their Boss will be. If not, well…I suppose we'll blindfold them before putting them back on the field.

Since Snake will be far from us, Support has been assigned to several warehouse areas surrounding the Kabul area, far enough from potential hotzones and enemy bases to avoid hostilities. It's thanks to Intel that Support could establish their supply bases there, at undisclosed locations. If Snake needs supplies, he'll send a message via iDroid to the Support warehouses, and they'll immediately send a box via Fulton.

It's getting late now, and Snake should already be back in Afghanistan. I'll need to hurry with my rounds so I can listen in on his progress.

Well, I couldn't meet him this morning. I only saw the arrival from my office window, and the rest I learned from the men posted below. I still need to know if Snake recognizes me.


End file.
